Month: February 2017

An established neurosurgeon, Ali Mesiwala, MD, applies his expertise in numerous areas that include teaching, business ventures, research, and hospital practices. Currently, Dr. Mesiwala serves as medical director at the Chaparral Medical Group in California. Ali Mesiwala, MD, is also engaged in several professional associations, including the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the Society of Lateral Access Surgeons.

The Society of Lateral Access Surgeons is a professional association that works to advance minimally disruptive lateral access spine surgery techniques through research and education. Founded in 2006, the association also represents its many members who are practitioners in the field of lateral access surgery.

Lateral access surgery is a form of surgery that addresses spine disorders. The term lateral refers to the surgery’s mode of conduct, which is through the patient’s side. This approach differs from other surgical techniques that complete surgery through the posterior (back) or the anterior (front) of a patient. Benefits of a lateral access approach include both shortened surgery time and hospital stay, decreased blood loss and scarring, and faster overall recovery.